Talk:Deistic evolution

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The trouble with this, though, is what is the difference between deistic evolution and atheistic evolution? Scarlet A.pngd hominem 17:48, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

Huge difference. WIGGLE ROOM. many people think there is a god, cause they just "fell it". they were raised taht way and don't know how (or simply don't want) to challenge it. Cause they've seen something, somewhere that makes them need, want, or belive in a higher power. Yet, they are lawyers, scientists, teachers, and other so called "rational" people who also know the world is what science says it is. 14 billion years old, evolved, etc. so they need a place. god of the gaps has been pushed to a veyr very very safe place. And he doesn't even interact with the world! Green mowse.pngGodotStop the damn screeds! 17:51, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
The watchmaker isn't blind. [1] Nebuchadnezzar (talk) 17:52, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
Theistic evolution is wiggle room, deistic evolution is something you can park a tank in! Scarlet A.pnggnostic 17:59, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
I'm struggling to see how evolution can even be described as "deistic". Either evolution is guided (i.e. by God or similar) or it isn't (regardless of whether God exists). Since the deist position is that God created the universe but then didn't interfere with it, describing evolution (or any of the other many things he doesn't interfere with) as "deistic" just because he doesn't interfere with them (or anything else) seems meaningless. WėąṣėḷőįďWeaselly.jpgMethinks it is a Weasel 19:31, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
There is a major difference between deistic evolution and the normal "naturalistic evolution". According to deistic evolution God "set up basic laws to govern the running of the universe, and then left the scene entirely" so in other words God still started the process of evolution but he/she/it is not guiding it like theistic evolution says (we are talking about evolution here in a broader sense on a cosmic scale). Deistic evolution perceives God as getting the process started by "producing the first living matter" via the Big Bang. Then, God withdrew from active involvement and let natural processes take over. "Deistic evolution" is not popular amongst Christians but it does exist and a number of philosophers and scholars have written on the subject. DinoCrisis (talk) 19:51, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
My dad believes that god, being all knowing, knew that if he set up rules in this particular way, X and Y would be likely (or *the*) result. I don't know if that's deism or not, cause in all honesty, i never understood dieism. if the god exists but has never interfered in our lives, and doesn't comment upon our lives, then how is that not atheism. but that's not here or there. Green mowse.pngGodotStop the damn screeds! 21:45, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
"...then how is that not atheism." Because there's a god involved? Deistic evolution would also differ from unguided evolution by adding in the element of metaphysical teleology. Nebuchadnezzar (talk) 23:52, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
As far as science is concerned, there is no distinction between atheistic and deistic evolution; but philosophically there is quite a gap. Mjollnir.svgListenerXTalkerX 23:57, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
Hence my use of "metaphysical." Nebuchadnezzar (talk) 23:59, 10 July 2012 (UTC)
  • Anyone interested in the subject, I recommend the book by Williams as mentioned in the article titled Darwin, God and the Meaning of Life. See Chapter 4 Link also Chapter 5 is titled "God as filler Gap" the author actually rejects the arguements for deistic evolution. Michael Anthony Corey would disagree with Williams, though I have not read his book yet though I may buy it for my brother who is a "Deistic evolutionist" and I will try and find other references for the article. DinoCrisis (talk) 00:10, 11 July 2012 (UTC)

Alternative meanings[edit]

Deities evolve over time to suit the requirements of their worshipers.

How would deities-as-a-species evolve? Anna Livia (talk) 18:44, 21 September 2018 (UTC)